Ex-S'pore Idol judge Ken Lim takes the stand, denies making sexual comments to accuser or pressuring her to smoke

Former Singapore Idol judge and music producer Ken Lim took the stand in his own defence on Jul. 22, 2024, in an ongoing trial for allegedly making sexual comments to an aspiring musician back in 2012, according to CNA.

Lim was the executive director of record label Hype Records back in 2012.

Five women have accused Lim of molestation and insult of modesty.

The 59-year-old Lim, who was handed a total of seven charges, is contesting each victim's allegations in five separate trials.

Accusations about second meeting

The aspiring musician, a woman (whom we refer to as 'Z'), who was 26 years old back in 2012, met Lim twice at his Hype Records office.

The first occasion was on Jul. 19, 2012, and the second time on Jul. 25.

Z claimed that after the second meeting, at a car park at Hype Records, Lim asked her, "Are you a virgin?" and "What if I have sex with you right now?".

Lim, however, claimed that Z's accusations are "blatant" lies while taking the stand on Jul. 22, 2024.

The two meetings

Lim said he knew Z through a friend. This friend asked Lim to meet Z as a favour.

Z was a recent graduate from the London School of Economics (LSE), and quit her job in banking to be in the music industry. 

Lim said he "hesitated" because he frequently gets such requests, but ultimately decided to meet Z.

Corinne May comments

Z and Lim met on Jul. 19 at the Hype Records office. They discussed her music inspirations, including singer Corinne May.

Lim said they discussed May's music. Z claimed Lim told her "innocent music", citing May as an example, does not sell, and Lim called her an unsuccessful "kindergarten teacher."

But Lim refuted Z's claim and said May was "a very dear friend and a very respected musician". He added that she sung at his wedding and they worked together on projects.

Lim said Z's claim "doesn't make any sense" as he would "never speak ill" of someone he had mentored for years.

May will be testifying in Lim's defence, CNA reported.

Mother picked her up

Lim added that Z's mother picked her up after their first meeting.

Z said her mother had dropped her off, and Lim asked if her mother had waited all that time.

Z apparently said that her mother was a "full-time driver", which Lim said he remembered because it was "pretty comical".

Second meeting

Lim met Z for the second time on Jul. 25.

According to Lim, Z asked if he could sign her on as an artist, to which Lim apparently said "categorically no".

Lim also told her: "You may have the ambition, the dream, but you may not have the qualities."

Z alleged that Lim went to the car park with her after the meeting and pressured her into smoking a cigarette, before asking her, "What if I have sex with you right now?"

Lim refuted this. He said he was smoking in his office "as he usually did", when Z asked him for a cigarette, and he passed it to her.

"She also highlighted she wrote a song about cigarettes, but actually she had never tried smoking. The indication to me is very simple - either the fact that she just wants to try, or she wanted to show me she can adjust. It's really as simple as that, I don't know why she said she was pressured."

Lim noted that Z testified that she enjoyed the cigarette, calling it a "novelty". Lim added that he did not know what "this inconsistency means".

Z could not remember how she got home after the second meeting. Lim's lawyers said she was most likely picked up by her mother. 

Becoming a performer vs being an artist

In Jan. 2013, Lim texted Z to ask if she would wanted to join a reality singing show by Channel 5, called The Final 1, CNA reported.

Lim clarified that, to his mind, there is a distinction between being signed on as an artist and going on to become a performer, and that while he did not want to sign Z on as an artist, she could still go on to be a performer.

Lim's defence showed the court messages between Z and her vocal coach about the invitation.

The messages apparently showed Z telling her coach that she did not have what it takes to be a signed-on recording artiste with him.

Fearing for her reputation if Lim were to criticise her on the show, Z apparently decided not to take part.

Z apparently texted her coach: "The whole Ken Lim thing is dodgy, so don't want to get involved ... and also I just think there are a lot of stronger singers out there! So maybe if they have a second season?!"

The coach then replied: "Ken Lim dodgy!?"

Lim refuted Z's claims, calling her notion that he invited her just to publicly criticise her "totally ridiculous".

Lim denies asking her to take drugs

Z also claimed that she was wary of Lim potentially taking her to a room and raping her at the competition.

Lim called this a "far-fetched embellished possibility...out of desperation" and said judges do not interact with the participants.

Lim said that Z eventually did appear on the show, but not as a participant. They chatted a bit, but "nothing much" occurred.

Z claimed that Lim also asked her to go over to the "dark side" by smoking, cheating on her boyfriend and taking drugs.

Lim denied this, saying: "Why will I tell her to take drugs? And for crying out loud, where would she be able to get the drugs from, I have no idea."

The trial is ongoing. If found guilty of insulting a woman's modesty, Lim faces up to a year's jail, a fine or both.

Top images via Mothership & perfectgroupies/YouTube.